Steve,

Extracts from an account of John Mcgregor, quoting entries in his diary, from the year 1865:

"Idea about canoe voyage was in germ to-day,"
and ten days later, "Canoe project hatched."
On June 21 he wrote, "Went to see my canoe the Rob Roy"
and on the 27th, "Saw the Rob Roy completed."
A month after that he started on his first famous tour.

So an 1863 date for 'Paddle', based on Mcgregor's exploits, is plainly wrong.

In 1890 Fanny Edwards was appearing in 'The Gondoliers', playing the part of the Duchess, at the Chicago Opera House.

Fred French crops up regularly, particularly after HC's death, being credited on a number of occasions with the authorship of HC's songs. Indeed, it was these spurious claims which prompted some of the letters to The Era, quoted above. Mr French "never achieved such success and popularity as Harry Clifton, whose songs he frequently sang" (Era, Jun 3, 1899).